text:
Local entrepreneurs are gradually focusing on green or environment-friendly factories for enhancing their competitiveness in the global market and for ensuring long-term sustainability, industry insiders have said.
Since the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013, the number of such green factories has been increasing in the country’s garment sector, they added.
Though the apparel sector is the pioneer in setting up such units, entrepreneurs of other sectors, like – leather and footwear, cement, electrical, plastic, backward linkage industries of RMG including accessories, washing and dyeing, and commercial buildings, are now investing for these factories.
More than 315 local factories are listed with USGBC LEED certification. Out of these, 67 garment factories have already received certificates, while more than 180 garment units are in the pipeline. The rest belong to other sectors.
Apex Footwear, Vertex Footwear, Rhivaan Footwear, Mega Footwear, MK Footwear, Akij Cement, SSG Fan Factory, SSG Engineering, SSG Electronics, Prime Tower, BIFFL Corporate Office, Mahmud Tower and QA Tower, are among the factories that have applied for USGBC LEED certification, according to its official website.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the US Green Building Council (USBC) is a point-based system, where a rating level is achieved once a project meets all the prerequisites and earns minimum points.
Depending on the number of points earned, a project may be labeled as LEED-certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold or LEED Platinum.
“Sustainability is a pre-requisite or core requirement for future export business,” Syed Nasim Manzur, managing director of Apex Footwear Ltd, told the FE.
All customers, irrespective of sectors, are looking for sustainable forms of production. For that the whole process of production, even the building has to incorporate sustainability measures, he said.
Sustainability will be the key differentiator between the factories that will succeed and the factories that will fail in future. In future only the sustainable units will remain competitive and survive.
Apex has invested Tk 220 million in 2017 only for sustainability and compliance, including Apex Footwear Sewing and Cutting Zone that is in the process of USGBC LEED Gold Certification. The construction is expected to be completed by April 2018, he added.
On the other hand, Super Star Group, one of the country’s leading electrical and electronic conglomerates, has invested Tk 300 million in one of its fan factories in Munshiganj.
“Though we have applied for USGBC LEED GOLD certification, we might be promoted to LEED Platinum category,” said SSG Fan Factory senior manager Raihan ul Kabir.
The main purposes of the project are to be fully compliant and enter into the export market, he added.
The unit, currently in operation, has the capacity to produce some 3,000 pieces of various types of fans per day, including ceiling, exhausted and table, he said, adding that the unit employs about 3,200 workers.
Md Jashim Uddin, vice chairman of Bengal Group of Industries, said almost all the buyers are now looking for safety and compliance in the factories from where they source or want to source products.
Green and environment-friendly factories not only help to save resources and enhance efficiency but also attract more foreign buyers. The buyers feel comfortable to source from the units that maintain the safety and other compliances, he opined.
The group has invested Tk 2.50 billion to set up export-oriented plastic factory in Savar on four acres of land. The under-construction factory is expected to start full-fledged production by early 2019.
The unit will manufacture household plastic appliances for export, and will have the capacity to manufacture products worth $2.0 million per month, he added.
The global practice in the developed countries is investing commercial space or buildings for such construction, following the size of their service sectors. But the scenario is just opposite in Bangladesh, people involved with the process said.
Apparel makers have been setting up the green units, among others, to overcome the image crisis caused by various industrial accidents including Tazreen Fashion Fire and Rana Plaza collapse, they added.


text:
While Axis serves customers in many markets, their annual conference focuses on vertical market solutions. Last year their conference focused on transportation solutions and this year they focused on retail applications where 25% of all surveillance cameras are installed.
David Gorman, former leader of global loss prevention at Wal-Mart and currently president and CEO of David Gorman & Associates, presented the importance of network video as a retail shrinkage solution. Gorman exemplified the problem for retailers as shrinkage equals between 1.56% to 1.61% of sales for U.S. retailers and between 20% to 40% of profits or 1.24% of sales for European retailers. And the impact of organized retail crime on shrinkage is increasing to the point that the FBI has funded a new task force to address the problem.
Interesting the growth of shoplifters that consider themselves, “professionals” meaning they make their living shoplifting. In interviews, serial shoplifters have revealed that they feel a minimal chance of being caught. And the statistics bear this out, shoplifters are caught only once per 48 attempts.
Gorman has over 20 years experience as a practitioner and he has worked to help clients address loss prevention in a practical matter to help increase sales, reduce loss and measure ROI.
Among his findings for applying intelligent network video are:
More than 20% of video is not monitored
A humans effectiveness at monitoring degenerates to below acceptable levels after 20 minutes
Reduces time and makes information easily accessible for analysis
Analytics allow for real-time alerts to suspicious behavior or thefts
Merchandising intelligence can be gleamed to increase sales
Gorman states that “Reducing shrinkage, managing cultural or organizational change and staying informed on new solutions” are the critical issues for loss prevention executives.
A recent independent White Paper has identified that for installations above 32 cameras, the total cost of ownership is less with network vs. analogue video. Innovations such as tampering alarms and for a copy of this White Paper visit www.axis.com

domain: news


text:
Sign up for the PlasticsToday NewsFeed newsletter.
October 6, 2021
1 Min Read
Image: iQoncept/Adobe Stock
In an all-Canadian deal, recycler EFS-plastics Inc. has acquired Exi-Plast Custom Moulding. Both companies will continue to operate under their organizational structures and will build on their existing base of suppliers and customers, they said. EFS-plastics, which specializes in the production of 100% post-consumer polyethylene and polypropylene resin, is based in Listowel, ON. Exi-Plast, a full-service plastics processor with a focus on custom blow-molding services, is located in Huron Park, ON.
"Having worked closely with EFS as a supplier since 2016, it felt natural for Exi-Plast to join the EFS group of companies," said Exi-Plast President Jeffrey Lang. "With EFS's backing, we are looking forward to increasing our production capacity and upgrading equipment over the next several months."
The acquisition fits into EFS's mission to reduce plastic waste by replacing the use of virgin plastic with high-quality, low-carbon recycled plastic. By purchasing Exi-Plast, EFS can directly manufacture finished products with high levels of post-consumer recycled plastic for its customers. Given the commitments made by brands and Canada’s federal government to increase use of post-consumer recycled plastic, EFS said that this vertical integration will allow it to recycle higher volumes of plastic collected from Canadian households.
"Our investment in Exi-Plast will increase our ability to serve customers looking to improve their environmental footprint," said EFS-plastics President and CEO Martin Vogt. "As we closely watch action being taken by both the federal government and the private sector, we see the increasing demand for recycled content as a lasting trend."
You May Also Like
What to Expect From Global Plastics Treaty Talks This MonthApril 14, 2024|4 Min Read
How to Successfully Position Your Plastics Processing Business for a BuyoutApril 13, 2024|7 Min Read
Trinseo Develops PFAS-free Flame-retardant PC, PC/ABSApril 12, 2024|2 Min Read
Sikora Presents Array of Advanced Plastic Tube and Pipe Measurement SystemsApril 12, 2024|2 Min Read


text:
Monthly Archives: May 2019
Stanphyl Capital letter for the month of January 2019 discussing their short position in Tesla stock and Model 3 price difference as the company lost access to the $7500 U.S. tax credit. Blomst / Pixabay We remain short stock and call options in Tesla, Inc. (TSLA), which I consider to be the biggest single stock […]
Apple has laid off 200 people from its autonomous car effort, dubbed Project Titan. The post Apple Lays Off 200+ People From Project Titan, Its Self-Driving Car Effort appeared first on ExtremeTech.
It didn’t fly for long, but it’s still a step in the right direction. Maybe we’ll get those flying cars yet. The post Boeing Tests Autonomous Flying Taxi appeared first on ExtremeTech.
Apple Inc has dismissed more than 200 employees from its autonomous vehicle group, Project Titan, CNBC reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Germany’s top carmakers including BMW and Volkswagen are looking at ways to speed up development of the next generation of self-driving cars, possibly by even working together, as tech giant Google forges ahead with plans to mass produce such vehicles.
InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Tesla faces a host of new competitors, in all-electric and driverless cars, which could adversely affect TSLA stock. The post Competition Is Closing In on Tesla and TSLA Stock appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Global automobile and auto parts makers which want to capitalize on electric and autonomous vehicles need to cut back investments and forge more partnerships instead, the chief executive of global parts supplier Magna International said Tuesday.
Most of the attention around autonomous vehicles has been focused on high profile Level 5 auto projects. 2018 was a terrible year for many of those, but now the spotlight has shifted to other, perhaps less ambitious, but more practical projects. The post The Self-Driving Industry Is Finally Becoming More Realistic appeared first on ExtremeTech.
Volkswagen AG said on Wednesday it had hired an executive from Apple as a director responsible for technical development at its commercial vehicles division.
Volkswagen AG has poached an executive from Apple to become the director responsible for technical development at its commercial vehicles division, Manager Magazin reported on Wednesday.


text:
KUALA LUMPUR (June 21): Mynews Holdings Bhd's net profit rose 16.4% to RM7.95 million in its second financial quarter ended April 30, 2019 (2QFY19) from RM6.83 million a year earlier, attributed to the growth in its number of stores as well as increase in sales of the existing outlets.
Earnings per share went up to 1.17 sen from one sen per share previously.
Quarterly revenue jumped 41.2% to RM132.98 million from RM94.18 million in the previous corresponding quarter.
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia today, Mynews said, however, its operating expenses increased by 24.7% to RM33.77 million compared with RM27.07 million in the previous corresponding quarter.
"This was in correspondence with the increase in the number of outlets to 483 stores from 385," it said.
Mynews announced an interim single tier dividend of one sen per share amounting to RM6.82 million for FY19. The entitlement and payment dates will be announced at a later date.
For the first six-month period ended April 30 (1HFY19), Mynews achieved nearly 23% growth in net profit to RM16.19 million from RM13.17 million in the previous year.
Meanwhile, accumulative revenue leapt by 39.2% to RM256.48 million from RM184.31 million in the same period.
Looking ahead, Mynews said it remains optimistic of its business growth, sustainability and potential which is underpinned by its increasing store network size, completion of its new food processing centre and continuous innovation.
"Mynews is on the journey of bringing Malaysian convenience to the next level by aggressively improving the store concept, product offerings and quality, and bringing the store closer to the consumers with the expanding network," it said.
However, the company noted that in the immediate term, the financial performance and its growth pace may be subjected to the receptiveness and take-up rate of the local consumers to the ready-to-eat food concept in a convenience store.
Mynews’ share price has been on a downward trend for a year. It has lost 16% from RM1.62 a year ago to RM1.37 today, giving it market capitalisation of RM934.55 million.


text:
Jean-Louis Gassé wrote about the decline of BlackBerry.
In reality, RIM was much more than three years behind iOS (and, later, Android). Depending on whom we listen to, the 2007 iPhone didn’t just didn’t stand on a modern (if incomplete) OS, it stood on 3 to 5 years of development, of trial and error.
BlackBerry had lost the software battle before it could even be fought.
Another reminder that first doesn’t matter, but the first that matters does. Instead of releasing a phone with an incomplete OS, Apple waited until it was ready and blew away its competition.


text:
Five Perthshire villages are set to benefit from a mobile Post Office van as of this month.
The new service has linked rural Perthshire communities, along with services in Fife.
Residents of Dunkeld, Spittalfield, Guildtown, Rait and Rhynd will all benefit from the scheme.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “The Mobile Outreach Service, whereby a nearby postmaster provides a service at a set time and location, is operated by the postmaster from Kennoway Post Office.
“A wide range of services are available, customers are able to collect benefits in cash using our everyday banking services or Post Office card account.”
In Dunkeld, the service will stop at North End Car Park on Atholl Street on Thursdays from 9.30am-10.30am and Fridays from 9.30am–10.30am.
Spittalfield will see the service stop at The Green on Thursdays from 11am-noon and it will be in the garage on Main Road, Guildtown, on Thursdays from 12.30– 1.30pm.
In the Carse of Gowrie, the service stops at Rait Antiques Centre on Fridays from 11.30am–12.30pm and on Main Road, Rhynd on Fridays from 1.30–2.30pm.
Roseanna Cunningham MSP welcomed the new service to Rhynd, a community which has been without a post office for some time.
She said: “The Mobile Service is a travelling post office aboard a specifically designed vehicle that brings Post Office services and retail products to communities without relying on fixed premises.
“Clearly, an hour a week is a far cry from a full time post office but it does at least mean that Post Office services have been restored to the community of Rhynd, in however limited a fashion.”


text:
Amazon says it will start reporting revenue for Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a standalone category that is separate from the umbrella "Other" category it was previously lumped with.
At the company's quarterly conference call on Thursday, Amazon vice president of finance for its global consumer business Brian Olsavsky announced that beginning in the first fiscal quarter of the year, Amazon will report separate revenue figures for its AWS cloud enterprise services. Previously, AWS revenue was reported under the "Other" category, along with co-branded credit card agreements in advertising services.
"We just think it's an appropriate way to look at our business in 2015," said Thomas Szkutak, Amazon senior vice president and chief financial officer to retire and be replaced by Olsavsky in June.
For the fourth quarter of last year, Amazon posted revenue of $1.7 billion for the "Other" category, including AWS. The figure is up 43 percent from the revenue of $1.2 billion posted from 2013's last quarter. Full-year figures jumped 45 percent from the previous year, with the "Other" category earning $5.4 billion in revenue compared to the $3.7 billion of 2013.
It is unclear how much of those earnings can be attributed to AWS, but Amazon reveals it had one million customers using at least one of its cloud-based enterprise tools during a recent one-month period. Moreover, usage growth increased a whopping 90 percent, while Amazon introduced 80 percent more features from the previous year. Amazon also said it invested $1.44 billion in property and equipment for the last quarter alone. Its total investment in the category for the entire year is $4.89 billion, compared to the $1 billion investments of Amazon competitors.
The impetus for Amazon to break out its AWS is unclear. Under federal accounting standards, companies are required to break out segments of its revenue, profits, and assets if it exceeds more than 10 percent of the companies' overall earnings. Total revenue for Amazon for 2014 is $29.33 billion, so it's not likely Amazon was pressured by regulators.
Amazon is the pioneer of cloud-based tools and services that allow online entrepreneurs to set up their websites without needing to have the necessary hardware. Plenty of big businesses online, including Netflix, Reddit, Adobe, and Pinterest, use AWS services for their daily operations. However, analysts, competitors, and cloud watchers simply relied on estimates by research firms to get a vague idea of how much of an impact AWS has on the cloud industry. At one point, DeepField Networks estimated that 1 percent of the entire traffic on the Internet, which represents a huge amount of traffic, passed through AWS.


text:
Colombia’s coffee farmers will receive a Coffee Income Protection (CIP) stipend owed to them since 2013, local media reported Wednesday.
According to the radio network Radio W, Santos stated that he had authorized the Colombian Coffee Federation to pay the CIP, which the country’s farmers had been entitled to since 2013. Fedecafe will reportedly pay the remaining 74,000 coffee farmers who were found to be eligible for government assistance after applying for the stipends during the month of December last year.
“The Coffee Federation has been allocated $103.5 million to pay the PIC,” announced Santos.
Of the decision, Santos said, “Coffee growers in Colombia should be very satisfied, because Colombian production in the world market looks very promising.”
Santos’ announcement comes less than a week before planned coffee farmer strikes.
Agrarian discontent in August last year led to major national strikes last year that resulted in violence and disruption across Colombia. Five people were killed in clashes with the police, 458 people were injured and highways and roads were closed down around the country.
As part of the deal to end the strikes, the Colombian government created a Coffee Income Protection (PIC) plan that agreed to pay stipends to coffee farmers if internal coffee prices fell below about $350 for a 275 pound bag of coffee. Coffee Grower’s Dignity spokesman Victor Correa told Colombia Reports this is roughly the point where coffee price meets the production costs for coffee growers.
Since then, according to Caracol Radio, the Colombian government has reportedly already paid $500 million to Colombia’s coffee farmers in accordance with the PIC.
Coffee growers announced earlier this year an intent to strike once again on April 28 because they say the government has failed to carry out six of the even terms agreed upon following the strikes last year.
One of the major complaints coffee farmers had, according to a spokesman for the Coffee Grower’s Dignity (Dignidad Cafetera), was that only 80% of coffee farmers received the PIC assistance they had been promised. Wednesday’s announcement by President Santos could be an attempt to show good will towards the coffee growers.
The planned strikes planned for April 28 will start less than a month before presidential elections and may force incumbent President Juan Manuel Santos to make concessions to coffee growers in order to avoid major strikes.


text:
ABU DHABI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / March 13, 2024 / Amidst rising issues about sustainability within the blockchain trade, Diamante Blockchain has unveiled its eco-friendly method to blockchain know-how by growing its proprietary blockchain community, Diamante Internet By doing so, Diamante takes a optimistic step in the direction of addressing power consumption, whereas additionally interesting to customers, buyers, and companions who’ve turn into more and more conscious of their environmental influence.
As a scalable and sustainable blockchain know-how, Diamante Internet goals to set itself aside from rivals whereas concurrently providing an environment friendly, environmentally pleasant resolution for monetary transactions and digital asset administration. Moreover, the corporate’s carbon offset packages and community-focused initiatives promote environmental conservation, social fairness, and financial growth.
“Our tech framework at Diamante Internet is constructed on tackling the three most challenges which can be related throughout a number of industries – scalability, security, and eco-friendliness,” says Arijit Biswas, Chief Know-how Officer. “Our shift in the direction of a extra sustainable proof of stake consensus highlights our dedication to lowering carbon footprints whereas upholding the trade’s forward-thinking perspective.” He provides “We do not simply need technical excellence, however we wish to handle the atmosphere, equal social alternatives too.”
On the middle of Diamante’s sustainability ethos is the DIAM, the utility coin developed on the Diamante Internet, which represents the corporate’s dedication to social influence and sustainability. The coin will allocate a portion of transaction charges towards supporting environmental and social causes that resonate with Diamante’s values. This can allow customers not solely to make a optimistic contribution to society but additionally to assist causes they’re captivated with.
Moreover, Diamante introduces PayCircle, a flagship product that reimagines banking fee, funding, and accounting experiences world wide on one safe community at minimal price. PayCircle makes use of Diamante Internet as an underlying infrastructure globally, offering customers with a chance to conduct immediate transactions far beneath conventional cost-per-transaction metrics discovered on different legacy networks. Using Diamante Internet as underlying infrastructure improves transaction safety, reduces processing energy, and in addition minimizes electrical energy consumption and emission.
With a world push in the direction of web zero greenhouse fuel (GHG() emissions, Diamante Blockchain is taking decisive motion in two methods. Firstly by growing a blockchain resolution that reduces power consumption with environment friendly use of know-how and secondly, by investing in carbon offset packages and renewable power initiatives.
Whereas different blockchain protocols devour extra power as a trade-off for enhanced safety, scalability, and decentralization, Diamante Internet’s method demonstrates how blockchain can vastly profit monetary methods with out compromising the atmosphere.
About Diamante Blockchain
Diamante Blockchain stands on the forefront of blockchain innovation, dedicated to increasing the attain and utility of its proprietary community, Diamante Internet. Our mission is to harness the transformative energy of blockchain to ship unparalleled worth and effectivity throughout industries. With a deal with safety, scalability, and sustainability, we’re devoted to growing open-source options that empower people and companies worldwide.
Title: Lalit Choudhary
Designation: Chief Advertising Officer
E mail: [email protected]
Location : Abu Dhabi , UAE
Linktree : https://linktr.ee/diamsocial
SOURCE: Diamante Blockchain


text:
How would you feel if your favorite retailer turned over a list of all the books, movies, personal care items, or "adult" entertainment items you have purchased in the last seven years to your state government, with your name and address attached? That's exactly what North Carolina's Department of Revenue (DOR) wants from Amazon.com, and it wants that info for every North Carolina resident that has ordered from the Internet retailer since 2003. Amazon has pushed back, however, saying that doing so would violate its users' privacy and First Amendment rights.
In fact, Amazon has gone so far as to file a lawsuit against the North Carolina DOR in hopes of getting a judge to proactively rule the DOR's request unconstitutional. In its complaint, Amazon says the DOR does not need personally identifiable information in order to check up on Amazon's compliance with North Carolina's tax laws. The retailer says it has already handed over a list of what North Carolina customers have bought, what they paid, and the ZIP code where the items were shipped, which should be enough.
The North Carolina DOR doesn't think so, though. Clearly, government is trying to determine exactly which residents are skirting paying their sales taxes to the state with this strategy. (For those of you who didn't know, you actually are supposed to pay sales tax on those Amazon purchases, even though Amazon doesn't collect them from most of us. Needless to say, most customers conveniently "forget" come tax time.)
North Carolina has demanded the names and addresses of each state citizen along with every order detail, and has threatened Amazon with summary contempt for not already turning it over. "Amazon, without violating its customers’ privacy, fully cooperated by furnishing data requested by the DOR to conduct its tax analysis," reads the complaint. "The DOR’s actions threaten to chill the exercise of customers’ expressive choices and to cause Amazon customers not to purchase certain books, music, movies or other expressive material from Amazon that they might otherwise purchase if they did not fear disclosure of those choices to the government."
It certainly sounds as if the DOR's request reaches into privacy violation territory in the name of collecting taxes, and this isn't the first time it has targeted Amazon and its users in an attempt to bump state revenues. Like New York, Rhode Island, and Colorado, North Carolina recently passed a law saying that Amazon had to collect and fork over taxes for every one of its affiliates located in the state. This did not have the intended effect, though, as Amazon simply shut down its affiliate program in North Carolina in response.
Amazon believes the DOR's latest request violates its users' free speech rights as well as the Video Privacy Protection Act (the same argument used against Facebook when it was embroiled in its now-defunct Beacon debacle). Given these points, it's not unlikely that the judge will rule in Amazon's favor—assuming the North Carolina DOR doesn't decide to go with a less invasive investigation before then, that is.
reader comments66 with


text:
Motorola on Wednesday sent out press invite for the Moto C Plus launch in India. The smartphone was first launched in the US last month, and now the company is all set to unveil the device in India on June 19 in New Delhi. Motorola took to its official Twitter and Facebook, and confirmed that the upcoming Moto C Plus will pack the latest Android Nougat operating system and a massive battery. Lenovo sub-brand Motorola also sent out press invites for June 27 and is most is likely to launch Moto Z2 or Z2 Force.
The Moto C Plus was initially launched alongside the Moto C last month in the US. Later, Motorola launched a new and cheaper variant of the Moto C in India, similar can be the case with Moto C Plus as well. Motorola could possibly launch a new variant of the Moto C Plus in India. We say this based on the tweets and Facebook posts shared by the company which mentions — “New Moto C Plus coming soon”. Further, the company via a tweet confirmed that the upcoming C Plus smartphone will be backed by a big battery.
Moto C Plus specs and expected price
Motorola India on Wednesday tweeted that the upcoming Moto C Plus would come with an excellent battery set up which would be capable of delivering nearly 30 hours of battery backup to the users. The smartphone was initially launched with 4000mAh battery, the Indian version of the device could also come with the same battery. While on the other hand, another tweet confirmed that the phone would use Android Nougat.
As per the pricing, Moto C Plus was initially launched at a price tag of Rs EUR 119, which is roughly around Rs 8,300. However, like Moto C, the company could bring a new variant of the device for India, probably a much cheaper one. In terms of specifications, the smartphone was launched with a 5-inch display with 720×1280 pixels resolution. Further, the Moto C Plus runs on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and is powered by a 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6737 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor which comes coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage. On the camera front, Moto C Plus sports an 8-megapixel camera on the rear which comes with f/2.2 aperture, autofocus, and a LED flash and is backed by a 4000mAh battery.
Moto C specs
The upcoming Moto C Plus will be a a higher-end version of the previously launch Moto C, which makes it clear that C Plus will be more expensive than the Moto C. Moto C in India was launched at Rs 5,999. In terms of specifications, Moto C in India packs a 5-inch FWVGA display with 480×854 pixels resolution. The smartphone runs on Android N operating system, and is powered by a 1.1GHz MediaTek MT6737M quad-core Cortex-A53 SoC coupled with 1GB of RAM. On the storage front, the Moto C model comes with 16GB of internal storage, which can be further expandable up to 32GB via microSD card.
As per the camera set up, Moto C comes packed with a 5-megapixel rear sensor and 2-megapixel front facing camera. The primary camera has an image sensor that that packs in 1.4-micron pixels, 74-degree field of view, fixed focus, an LED flash, and 720p video recording. While the selfie snapper comes coupled with a 63-degree field of view, fixed focus, and an LED flash. Further the smartphone is backed by a non-removable a 2350mAh battery, and also comes with capacitive navigation buttons. The 3.5mm audio jack sits on the top of the Moto C, and also supports micro-USB port. Moto C in India is launched in two colour variants — metallic cherry and fine gold.
Moto Z2 Play goes on sale in India
Motorola launched the Moto Z2 Play in India last week goes on sale via Flipkart and offline stores at Rs 27,999. This is the successor of last year’s Moto Z Play and is muhc imporved in almost every way, be it the design, camera, or the battery. In terms of specifications, Moto Z2 Play is powered by Snapdragon 626 processor and is coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage memory. Display wise, the smartphone comes packed with a 5.5-inch screen, which uses Super AMOLED panel and has FullHD (1080P) resolution. On the camera front, the Z2 Play features a 12-megapixel image sensor, while it fits a 5-megaixel camera on the front panel. Further the device is backed by a 3000 mAh battery.


text:
Amazon is discontinuing its “Just Walk Out” self-service technology at its Amazon Fresh stores in the United States, and replacing it with the “Amazon Dash Cart.” This new technology provides customers with a similar experience without requiring payment.
The previous version of the technology used sensors and cameras to track customers’ selections, allowing them to grab items and leave without waiting in line. However, the new Amazon Dash Cart requires customers to scan their items before placing them in their carts and automatically pays for their purchases without waiting in line.
According to Amazon spokeswoman Jessica Martin, the company is redesigning its Amazon Fresh stores to improve the overall shopping experience and offer more convenience. Customers expressed a desire for features such as finding products nearby, viewing their account balances, and knowing how much they saved while shopping. As a result, the introduction of the Amazon Dash Cart was made possible.
While Just Walk Out technology will no longer be available at Amazon Fresh stores in the US, it will continue to be offered at Amazon Go stores and smaller Amazon Fresh stores in the UK. The first Amazon store without cashiers outside of the US has opened in London 2021.


text:
Experts say the economy is cooling, but demand for machine tools in Northeast Ohio and nationwide should hold up quite well in 2007, mainly because of the need for manufacturers to invest in newer and more efficient equipment. After a four-year spending drought that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, machine tool orders rebounded last year and are expected to remain relatively strong this year, according to local and national experts. The consensus among industry experts is that machine tool orders in the United States will grow by 7% to 8% this year, said Bob Gardner, vice president of public relations for the Association for Manufacturing Technology in McLean, Va. Frank Gibbons, president of Numerequip Inc. in Cleveland, said 40% of the machine tools his distribution company sells are sold in five Midwest states, including Ohio. From Mr. Gibbons perspective, We see pent-up demand still exists. Mr. Gibbons said sales will be up about 3% this year at Numerequip, which sells machine tools made by Mazak Corp., the worlds largest producer of metal-cutting tools, such as lathes and machining systems. The average machine shop in the area buys new equipment every two years, he said. What is driving demand is the need for manufacturers to increase productivity and improve the accuracy of their machining, Mr. Gibbons said. Pressures of competing in a global market are such that machine shops constantly must improve the speed and quality of production, he said. We dont see a downturn until 2008, Mr. Gibbons said. He said the 2008 elections will create uncertainty about the role of government in the economy, and uncertainty is bad for planning and capital spending. Parker Precision Inc., a Mentor machining company, is buying automated equipment to remain competitive and to cope better with the shortage of workers skilled in metalworking, said president Reeve Parker. The 10-year-old company operates 12 metal-cutting machines. I bought two machines last year and two this year, Mr. Parker said. Mr. Parker said Parker Precision, which machines gears, fittings and parts, is expecting a 20% sales gain this year, though he declined to reveal his sales figures.
Machine tool orders to stay strong
Shops’ need for latest equipment expected to drive
Using the newest technology enables Mr. Parker to maximize efficiency. One employee can operate three of the companys computer-controlled machines, setting a high standard for labor productivity at the 11-employee business. The new machines are always being improved when it comes to being user-friendly, Mr. Parker said. Zagar Inc., a Cleveland company that makes special machines, is anticipating a solid year, said president John Zagar. Zagars machines are dedicated to performing a certain task or producing one specific part, usually in high volume. Demand for standard machines has been strong, he said. There is an upturn for special machines. Mr. Zagar said his 30-employee company is expecting sales gains this year and is looking to hire a small number of engineers and machine designers. Mr. Zagar said the demand for special machines appears to be returning to the United States from overseas. He also said some of his machinery will be exported to China, which is the largest purchaser of machine tools. Last year, the United States ranked third among buyers, behind China and Japan. The United States last year ranked seventh in the world as a machine tool producer, manufacturing $3.6 billion of machines, according to Gardner Publications Inc., a Cincinnati company that reports on the industry.
Jergens Inc., a Cleveland company that produces components for machine tools and machine tool users, is optimistic about business this year, president Jack Schron said. Jergens ships products to world markets, including China, Mr. Schron said. Business moved at a faster pace two years ago, Mr. Schron said, but he nonetheless expects demand for cutting tools that are used in machine tools to increase 3% to 8% this year. He said he expects sales at Jergens will grow by a similar amount. Even more upbeat is Techno Industrial Machinery in Columbia Station. Techno, with 16 employees, makes automated machinery that bends metal pipe and tube into a variety of products, many of which are used by manufacturers of parts for trucks and automobiles. Techno president Tim Zvoncheck is expecting an increase in sales of about 20% this year, similar to last year. He said he is planning to add two workers this year. A lot of small shops cant compete using manual equipment, Mr. Zvoncheck said. Even one- and two-man shops are buying automated machinery. He said part of his sales increase results from his company producing more sophisticated machines.


text:
PORTSMOUTH — The U.S. Postal Service announced the post office at the McIntyre Federal Building will cease operations Saturday, Aug. 31 and move to a new site at 345 Heritage Ave. over Labor Day weekend.
The retail window at the 80 Daniel St. location will be open until 12:30 p.m. Saturday and the lobby will remain open for post office box customers until 4 p.m., according to a USPS press release issued late Wednesday afternoon.
The new post office off Banfield Road will open Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 a.m.
USPS officials said throughout the summer they expected to leave the downtown site by the end of August.
The post office’s expected move to Heritage Avenue has been among top concerns of those opposed to the redevelopment plan for the 2.1-acre McIntyre site as proposed by city officials and its private partners Redgate/Kane.
Those who oppose the plan said all prior visions for redeveloping the downtown property included keeping the post office at the site. However, Redgate/Kane officials notified the USPS officials that the post office would have to vacate the site during renovations to the federal building, which is part of a larger redevelopment plan.
USPS officials met that charge by saying if they had to relocate the post office they would not return after the redevelopment was complete.
David Rouse, a real estate specialist with the USPS, repeatedly stated at a September 2018 meeting that “we have been told by both the city and their chosen developer that we have to relocate while the renovations occur. ... Once we leave the building, we’re not coming back.”
City officials in a press release this past February said Tom Samra, USPS vice president for facilities, agreed USPS will attempt to secure a suitable downtown space, possibly in a redeveloped McIntyre space. However, Samra in a Feb. 27 letter to Mayor Jack Blalock, said the post office would return downtown “if a space can be identified that meets our operational needs on terms that are acceptable to the postal service.”
He added “postal service operations are not supported by tax dollars,” and USPS must make decisions “in a manner that is as efficient and economical as possible.”
Effective Tuesday, post office box customers currently getting their mail at the Daniel Street office will be assigned a new post office box at the Heritage Avenue location. Full retail and shipping services also will be available at the Heritage Avenue office. The retail window hours of operation at Heritage Avenue are Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The post office box lobby will be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
USPS officials stated “every effort is being made to make this transition as seamless as possible and there is no need for current box holders to file a change of address. Post office box mail will be automatically rerouted to their new box on Heritage Avenue.”
USPS officials acknowledged some downtown customers may not want to drive to the Heritage Avenue location. Post office box customers who wish to opt for street delivery of their mail should contact Officer-In-Charge Patty Svoleantopoulos at the Heritage Avenue post office to make those arrangements, they stated.


text:
Industrial Sector Suits Up
If Q1 reports are any indication, the Phoenix metro’s industrial sector is suiting up for an interesting year. Intel finished construction on its 2.2MSF manufacturing fab in Chandler, Ariz. It sits vacant with hopes for adaptations into a manufacturing facility for chips.
The 700KSF Buckeye Business Center is under construction without any tenants. Last year, Turner Spectrum Ridge broke group on eight industrial buildings that totaled 120KSF of space in Deer Valley. And WinCo Warehouse is expected to complete a 800KSF distribution facility in Q2 2014. While there are a handful of tenants looking for large industrial spaces, a majority of market demand lingers between 20KSF and 100KSF.
Still, Phoenix ranks No. 3 in the country for year-over-year construction completion increases, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s Q1 2014 report. In Q1 2013, 316KSF of industrial product was completed. In Q1 2014, that number jumped to 2.1MSF. Another 2.7MSF is being developed. Industrial vacancy in Phoenix is at 10.5 percent, still above the national average (7.4 percent), Cushman & Wakefield reports. Vacancy reached a two-year high, reports Colliers International, and vacancy in buildings larger than 100KSF has spiked to 16 percent, while vacancy in buildings of 200KSF and larger has more than doubled in the past year to 17.6 percent.
“But the glass is half full,” says Marc Hertzberg, managing director of industrial/supply chain and logistics solutions at JLL. “Phoenix remains a great place for labor, lower operating costs and quality of life. Economic conditions are improving and we expect to bounce back.”
“Phoenix typically absorbs somewhere between 3.5MSF and 4.5MSF of industrial space per year,” says Hertzberg. “We’ve been off this mark for about 12 months now, but we are not the only market in this position. Our large-scale industrial sector is a mirror image of a phenomenon taking place in southern California, and particularly the Inland Empire, which usually absorbs as much industrial space in one quarter, approximately 4MSF, as Phoenix does all year. At almost mid-year, that market has only absorbed 3.4MSF.”
The sweet spot, he says, are the small- and mid-size users who need between 75KSF and 200KSF. “The small- and mid-size users are typically made up of higher-wage specialized employers like medical and high-tech companies,” Hertzberg says. “They are looking for fully-air conditioned flex industrial space that is close to quality labor, vendors and transportation, and they are willing to pay prices of approximately 10 to 20 percent higher than the big-box users in the areas of west Phoenix to secure those factors.”
Build-to-suit construction is what companies need to factor into their projections, says Hertzberg.
“In the build-to-suit sector, vertical markets like e-commerce and food and beverage are providing us with some positive absorption, however this does nothing to fill existing space,” he says. “Rather, it is adding specialized building inventory to our market—product that is built specifically for its user versus the specs of an existing warehouse.”
“We are seeing an aggressive level of capital looking to be placed in Phoenix,” says Cassidy Turley’s Industrial Group Vice President Will Strong. Companies are looking toward build-to-suit options over taking existing buildings, he says.
“New industrial developments are pushing higher on clear height, bigger on truck courts, and are continuing to find better, more efficient and modern ways to meet the tenants’ changing facility needs,” he says. “We are seeing companies increase employment density for fulfillment centers, which in-turn pushes the parking requirements higher than a traditional warehouse user would have.”
Spec is also being leased up. Coldwater Depot in Avondale, Ariz., the Trammel Crow-Clarion project, entered the market with 600KSF in spec development and leased out to Conn Appliances and SanMar Corp.
“Capital markets are really looking at Phoenix hard right now because they can’t find anything to buy in other markets that pencils out,” Strong says. “This has pushed investors to look not only at traditional listings but also off-market opportunities. Whether current owners will sell is another question. Some are contemplating offers, but even if they were to sell they’d need to determine where to put their money next, and if that investment has the same kind of upside potential as Phoenix industrial space.”


text:
The Celtic-Plus SIGMONA project has pioneered novel software-defined networking (SDN) to give mobile network operators greater flexibility in responding to the explosive growth of mobile devices and cloud computing. Positive results will also help European operators prepare for the roll-out of 5G mobile technology.
The Celtic-Plus GOLD project has brought next generation broadband technology closer to market, inspired cutting edge research and created a whole new industrial ecosystem. What’s more, millions of consumers stand to benefit through faster internet access at a fraction of the cost.
A Czech eye surgeon is the man behind an invention to save patients pain from eye surgery. The product could be on the market soon thanks to his Czech and Slovak industrial partners on EUREKA project EYEINJECT.
By building on the developments made in previous Celtic-Plus projects in the same domain (WiSafeCar and CarLink), CoMoSeF managed to develop 23 new products that make driving under extreme weather conditions safer.


text:
September’s online sales surged 13% on August, revealing the highest ever growth for this period on record and signs of an economic recovery.
The IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index revealed online sales surged 20% year on year, as the category continued to grow above expectations and consumers shopped on mobile devices.
Almost a quarter – 23% – of mobile device sales were through smartphones in September, up on August when they comprised 15% of mobile sales.
Meanwhile, ahead of the Christmas peak trading period the average basket value reached its highest point since June 2012.
Capgemini vice-president, head of retail consulting and technology Chris Webster said: “This month’s index is a good indicator that we are headed towards economic recovery, and a great sign for a strong Christmas.
“The fact that e-retail has seen its sharpest period of growth for September suggests that consumers are shopping with confidence. In addition, September’s three-year high in the average clothing basket value is a clear sign that retailers are selling through at full price, giving even more confidence to the economic recovery.”
In September, fashion sales recorded an 18% rise year on year and the highest growth rate in the sector since June. Lingerie sales surged 30%, while accessories and footwear both grew 20%. The index recorded accelerated growth across electricals due to sales of new technologies and smartphones.
IMRG chief information officer Tina Spooner said: “The record monthly growth in September is an indication of increasing consumer confidence and with smartphone year-on-year sales growth reaching an impressive 150%, it is also evident that shoppers are becoming more comfortable with shopping via their mobile devices.
“Year-to-date the UK e-retail sector has grown 16% compared with the same period in 2012 and we anticipate the sector will continue to record double-digit growth during Q4.”


text:
Just Eat has been described by one of its shareholders as the worst-performing online food firm in the world as it called for a radical shake-up.
Cat Rock Capital, which owns 2% of the firm, on Monday urged Just Eat's board to "address key issues" and sell off non-core assets, such as its interest in the iFood business in Brazil and other non-European businesses.
The US investment firm also said Just Eat should come up with a three-year financial plan but, if the board fails to execute it, Just Eat "should begin to consider strategic alternatives for the business".
Just Eat's shares have declined almost 30% in 2018 and now trade near the same "absolute price as two years ago", Cat Rock Capital said, despite achieving 100% revenue growth over the same period.
It also pointed to the fact that Just Eat was recently ejected from the FTSE 100 index.
In a letter to the Just Eat board, Cat Rock called for more-demanding long-term profit targets, to properly align executive pay with performance and for the group to sell off non-core assets.
Cat Rock founder and managing partner Alex Captain said: "Shareholder frustration with management's lack of accountability for delivering on this potential continues to damage Just Eat's value and performance.
"As we have discussed with the board, we believe the first step toward addressing this problem is clear: it must urgently lay out a three-year plan commensurate with Just Eat's potential and link management's remuneration directly to the achievement of that plan, aligning their interests with those of shareholders."
Mr Captain said the sale of Just Eat's minority stake in iFood could generate as much as £650 million.
Just Eat is desperately attempting to keep up with with Deliveroo and Uber, firms that have been muscling in on its territory of late.
Speculation that Uber is in early talks to buy rival Deliveroo has also recently hit Just Eat's shares.
"Just Eat's shareholders have been very patient, but online food delivery is a rapidly evolving sector. Further delays in planning and decision-making will only continue to destroy shareholder value," Mr Captain added.


text:
The Super Bowl 50 Host Committee has teamed up with official Sustainability Partner Klean Kanteen to launch the #BringYourOwn campaign, an initiative encouraging people to use reusable water bottles in order to reduce overall usage of plastic bottles. Not only is this initiative aimed at bringing awareness to the importance of sustainability in general, but it is also aimed at making Super Bowl 50 the first ‘net positive’ Super Bowl. Klean Kanteen is giving 5000 BPA free stainless steel water bottles to the Host Committee volunteers, and 5000 to members of the media.
This initiative will inspire a new conversation with fans around the elimination of single use bottles and waste in general. The #BringYourOwn campaign aims to set a standard for the immense sustainability that can be achieved even in a production as large-scale as Super Bowl 50.
Don’t forget to bring your reusable water bottle to Super Bowl City presented by Verizon; look for fill stations from FloWater and US Pure Water.


text:
Could Utah be next? Chicagoans may be able to smoke as much weed as they’d like during the coronavirus pandemic, but they’re going to have to start limiting their drinking. Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday announced a curfew on alcohol sales in the city. Beginning Thursday and continuing until the governor’s stay-at-home order has been lifted, alcohol will no longer be sold after 9 p.m. in Chicago, Lightfoot reveals. “This is not punitive, it’s protective,” Lightfoot says. “Nonetheless, as with our lakefront closure, we are putting this curfew in place because too many individuals and businesses have been violating the stay-at-home order.” Vendors caught selling alcohol past 9 p.m. could be fined, arrested or stripped of their alcohol license, Lightfoot says.
A curfew will be placed on Chicago liquor sales starting Thursday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced.
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) April 8, 2020
The Salt Lake Tribune brought up that some people are questioning state-run liquor stores might not actually be “essential businesses.” Most of us know better, but it’s Utah. You never know. I mean, if we sold liquor and wine in grocery stores we would have less stores open and it might be a little safer, but this is Utah. We march to the beat of our own kazoo…or eat least the kazoo of our lawmakers. Either way, be nice to liquor store employees, don’t touch things you aren’t going to buy, and maybe extend that social distancing thing from 6 to 8 or ten feet while buying your hooch.


text:
Amazon, the world’s biggest retailer, is planning to take online shopping to a whole new level by introducing drones for delivering parcels.
Unveiling the idea on American news program 60 Minutes yesterday, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos said he hoped to see the Amazon Prime Air scheme put in place within five years.
“The big idea is half-hour delivery,” he said. “You order something and within half an hour you can have a drone land on your front porch, drop off a little box and off it goes.”
The drones would pick up the parcel and then fly to the customer’s address using GPS co-ordinates.
Bezos said that the drones can carry objects up to five pounds (2.3kg), which covers 86% of the items that Amazon’s delivers.
“I don’t want anyone to think this is just around the corner,” he said. “This is years of additional work – I’m an optimist – four or five years.”
Speaking about the motivation behind the drone delivery scheme, Bezos said: “Companies have short life spans … and Amazon will be disrupted one day,” he said. “I would love for it to be after I’m dead.”


text:
Showing 19,935 results for: Xunna Information Technology Inc
TSMC Computer Virus Hit May Delay Apple Shipments, but Impact Limited: Analysts
A computer virus outbreak at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) could delay chip shipments for Apple Inc's new iPhones but the impact will be limited as TSMC has prepared itself for such disruptions, analysts said.
Exclusive: India Panel Wants Localization of Cloud Storage Data in Possible Blow to Big Tech Firms
A panel working on the Indian government's cloud computing policy wants data generated in India to be stored within the country, according to its draft report seen by Reuters, a proposal that could deal a blow to global technology giants such as Amazon and Microsoft who offer such services.


text:
ERJ staff report (LMH)
Komaki, Japan – Tokai Rubber Industries has said net income in the 12 months ended 31 March 2013 fell 50% to ¥3 billion, though sales in the fiscal 2013 period grew 4.6% to ¥264 billion, up from ¥252 billion in 2012. Operating profit in fiscal 2013 fell 28% year-on-year to ¥9.24 billion.
TRI president Yoshiaki Nishimura said in the report that the company went through “a tough time” due to the decreased demand caused by the economic downturn around the world and the unprecedented appreciation of the yen until last autumn. He added that political tensions in Asia also caused issues.
“In addition, we suffered boycotts of Japanese products in the Chinese market amid the rising anti-Japan sentiment,” he said.
Throughout the year, TRI made a number of acquisitions in the automotive hose and automotive anti-vibration rubber businesses, purchasing Italian hose maker Dytech in February 2013 and AVS specialist Anvis Group. . The company also opened a compounding facility in Thailand in November 2012.
This is an external link and should open in a new window. If the window does not appear, please check your pop-up blocking software. ERJ is not responsible for the content of external sites.
News Release from Tokai


text:
MaxiTrans has been awarded one of the most lucrative trailer contracts, signing an agreement to supply Coles with 395 Maxi-Cube and Freighter trailers.
The trailers will be primarily used in New South Wales and Western Australia, and all built in MaxiTrans’ Ballarat factory with many of the components coming from its Hallam plant.
According to managing director and CEO Dean Jenkins, the contract is a major coup for the Australian manufacturing industry.
“Coles’ decision to buy Australian-made is not only a vote of confidence that our existing 950 employees build a world-class product, but it will also help to generate more than 100 new jobs over the life of the contract,” Jenkins said.
Tony O’Toole, Coles’ transport boss says the company is always striving to use local suppliers.
“We’re proud that deliveries to our stores will be made using trailers produced right here in Victoria,” he said.
It is believed the contract is worth approximately $60 million.


text:
Facebook has just made it a bit harder for scammers to solicit your hard-earned dollars for cryptocurrency purchases. Of course, the social media company's new policy also may hit some legitimate crypto ads as well.
The policy, made public today by Facebook Product Management Director Rob Leathern, "prohibits ads that promote financial products and services that are frequently associated with misleading or deceptive promotional practices, such as binary options, initial coin offerings and cryptocurrency." The move is to protect users from ads that are trying to capitalize on the popularity of these new financial opportunities through bad faith.
Leathern acknowledged that the policy may hit some legitimate ads as well. "This policy is intentionally broad while we work to better detect deceptive and misleading advertising practices," he said. adding that Facebook and its Audience Network and Instagram subsidiaries are also part of the new rule. "We will revisit this policy and how we enforce it as our signals improve."
The new policy will definitely have an effect on the ads of “crypto genius” James Altucher, a cryptocurrency proponent whose ads can be seen all over the internet seeking viewers to "click here" to learn to become a Bitcoin master."
The broad scope of the policy is expected to ruffle the feathers of legitimate advertisers, however, at least until Facebook can refine its standards. Facebook has two board members - Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen - who own firms that have heavily backed cryptocurrency Also, David Marcus, who heads up Facebook Messenger, is a board member at Coinbase, a popular cryptocurrency exchange..


text:
Facts & Stats About:
Smartphones will account for 69.7% of smart connected devices sold worldwide in 2014, compared to 13.7% for tablets, and 9.3% for laptops more...
More tablets will be shipped in 2015 than desktop computers and laptops combined more...
Mobile PC shipments will grow from 347MM units in 2012 to over 809MM units by 2017 more...
The worldwide tablet market will increase by 10% in 2015 more...
The worldwide tablet market will increase by 8% in 2014, down from 29% growth in 2013 more...


text:
NIGERIA – PZ Cussons Plc, Glanbia’s partner in Nutricima, has agreed to acquire Glanbia’s 50% stake for cash consideration of £21 million.
Global ingredients and performance nutrition group Glanbia sold its stake in Nutricima after the business no longer fits the it’s strategic priorities.
Nutricima generated profit before tax of £1.3m in the financial year to the end of May 2014.
As part of the deal, Glanbia Ingredients Ireland has entered into a long-term agreement with Nutricima for the supply of dairy ingredients.
“We believe this is the right move for Glanbia at this time. The region remains a significant market for dairy ingredients, particularly enriched milk powders and we look forward to continuing the relationship with PZ Cussons through the new long-term supply agreement with Glanbia Ingredients Ireland,” commented Siobhan Talbot, Glanbia’s Managing Director.


text:
Australian dairy farmers say the future of their industry is at a "tipping point", as foreign companies jostle to take over veteran Victorian producer Warrnambool Cheese and Butter.
They are also telling the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to "back off" and allow them to form a cooperative that could fight off the international bids and secure Australia's food supply.
Until recently, Warrnambool Cheese and Butter was little known outside its home state.
But the battle for control of a relatively small dairy manufacturer in western Victoria, which has been quietly churning out dairy products for 125 years, has suddenly aroused great international interest.
"It has a very proud history," Warrnambool Cheese and butter chief executive David Lord said.
"We take into the plant up to a billion litres of milk from over 600 farms in the region."
Warrnambool Cheese and Butter has become the nation's second largest dairy exporter. This has made it a red hot takeover target, particularly as the market booms in response to growing Asian demand.
Murray Goulburn Australia managing director Gary Helou says the big demand is coming from China.
"They've gone from nothing to the world's biggest dairy importer," he said.
"Over 10 years that import appetite will double yet again. Australia should be positioned to profit from this growing trade."
Roma Britnell, a dairy Farmer in Woolsthorpe, Victoria, likens it to the mining boom.
"They're calling it the dining boom," she said.
"We should be the ones preparing ourselves and getting organised just like those major multinationals are. They're smart. We need to be as smart."
Board keen on Canadian offer but farmers fear "surrender"
The close contest to control Australia's oldest surviving dairy processor is now between this country's largest dairy farmer cooperative Murray Goulburn and the former coop, now small corporation Bega Cheese.
But both are dwarfed by global giants of the dairy industry: New Zealand's Fonterra, Japan's Lion and Canada's Saputo.
Mr Lord says the company has always known their assets were attractive to their competitors.
"These assets that have been 125 years in the making are highly strategic," he said. "They're unique."
Since September, the competitors have been outbidding each other. The Warrnambool board has recommended its shareholders accept the latest offer by Canadian giant Saputo.
Though this would almost double the company's value, it has sent a tremor across Victorian dairy farms and beyond.
"The future ownership of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter is a critically important issue unfolding in our region for the whole Australian dairy industry," Ms Britnell said.
"It's symbolic at the moment of the tipping point from farmer owned and farmer influenced, into multinationals who don't have as great an investment in farming and the future direction of the Australian farming industry."
Concern at the prospect of the country's fourth largest dairy company falling into foreign hands triggered a recent turnout of dairy farmers in Warrnambool.
Lorraine Robertson, a dairy farmer from Warrnambool, says she is passionate about the Australian dairy industry and wants it to stay local.
Bernard Lubitz, a farmer from South Gippsland, says accepting the Saputo offer would be "surrender".
"That's just like a white flag saying we're surrendering. We don't care about our future. We don't care about the assets that we strive for. Our industry's for sale," he said.
Farmers call on ACCC to allow local takeover
What worries Australian dairy farmers most is how their industry is shrinking.
Ten years ago, Australia and New Zealand each produced 11 billion litres of milk a year.
Since then, New Zealand, led by its farmer cooperative Fonterra, has expanded into Australia and doubled production to 20 billion litres.
The Australian industry meantime has fragmented and shrunk by a quarter.
"We need one big co-op," Mr Lubitz said.
"Our opposition is New Zealand. They're here. They play hard. And we have to fight against them."
They say this would require an Australian bidder taking over Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, so it can take on the global giants.
Australia's biggest dairy exporter and farmer coop Murray Goulburn has matched the Canadian's bid and claims dairy farmers need their own all-Australian champion.
Mr Helou says there are too many processors in Australia that are "sub-scale".
"Being a dairy cooperative owned by farmers, it's our ethos, it's our central theme to maximise milk price so basically we distribute all of the profit back to the farmer-owner through the milk price," he said.
The big handicap for Murray Goulburn however is last time it suggested merging with Warrnambool, the ACCC said it would not allow it as this might cut competition for dairy farmers' milk in the district and possibly the price they are paid.
But many dairy farmers disagree.
"Murray Goulburn do set the milk price in Australia," Ms Britnell said.
"I think the ACCC have got it wrong. So my message to government is back off out of the way and support us so we've got an environment around us to be globally competitive."
Canadian takeover has Government blessing
This time around Murray Goulburn will challenge the ACCC in a direct approach to the higher Australian Competition Tribunal.
"If Saputo from Canada take over it'll be a foreign owned, small-scale business that is there for the financial benefit of the shareholders back in Canada," Mr Helou said.
"They'll be looking at minimising milk prices to maximise their own profit."
The Canadians however have succeeded in wooing some local dairy farmers, many of whom, like John McConnell, are also shareholders in Warrnambool Cheese and Butter.
"Now I heard Saputo, he sounded exciting," Mr McConnell said.
"He had a vision for the future. And he's got me very tempted."
Saputo has also won the new Federal Government's blessing, along with that of the Warrnambool board.
Mr Lord says if a foreign investor is prepared to put money on the table to expand Warrnambool's infrastructure, that is a positive thing for shareholders.
"And I think it's a positive thing for the industry at large," he said.
The Competition Tribunal's decision on Murray Goulburn's bid will take a minimum of three months.
Warrnambool directors have recommended shareholders accept the Canadians offer while it is still on the table.
If they do, another slice of a growing Australian industry will float off into foreign ownership.
"The world is hungry," Ms Britnell said.
"They are going around the world and looking at where good food producers are and trying to get a stake in the game. It's all about long term policy, food security.
"And we in Australia are not thinking about the vision for Australian agriculture and getting our best position ready."


text:
Photo: Michael Monnier Duty
At the time of the investigation, the withdrawal means at atms amounted to$ 195 against$ 140 in 2017, but, sign of the times, the amount of withdrawals at the counter has, as to him, melted in half in three years, an average of 289$ only and$ 141.
The Canadians have not turned back to the cash in spite of the fear of the COVID-19.
The amount of cash in circulation in the canadian economy has not decreased with the onset of the pandemic of the novel coronavirus. On the contrary, reports a study by the Bank of Canada unveiled last week, it is rather “increased significantly” in march and April last, ” both in absolute dollars and as a percentage compared to what has been observed in the past “.
This increase is likely the result of the prudence of financial institutions, which have increased their reserve of notes in the event of a disruption in their supply, as well as the decrease in deposits for tickets from retailers, but not only, says the study. Consumers also had more cash on them, their portfolio contains a median sum of $ 85, compared to 70 $ a year ago. At the time of the investigation, the withdrawal means at atms amounted to $ 195 against $ 140 in 2017, but, sign of the times, the amount of withdrawals at the counter has, as to him, melted in half in three years, an average of 289 $ only and $141.
The fear of cash
These trends should help to reassure the canadian central bank. From the beginning of the pandemic, it has not hidden its fear that the fear of some retailers and consumers of the virus can be transmitted by the bank notes ” create unjustified difficulties for people who depend on cash to make their purchases.” Last week, the minister of Finance of Québec, Eric Girard, launched to turn the same appeal to “all of the traders so that they do not penalise” unfairly these citizens, while recalling that he had to, as much as possible, ” continue to favour modes of electronic payment without contact “.
This is the sum median that kept them in their portfolio with the Canadians during the pandemic, according to a study by the Bank of Canada, up from $ 70 last year.
The day before, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) had noted that, although ” some studies have shown that bank notes can be contaminated by pathogenic micro-organisms, including viruses, […] there has been no documented case of transmission of the [SARS-CoV-2] through the exchange of currency, credit cards and bank notes “.
However, if 35 % of respondents to an Ipsos poll, conducted from 3 to 22 April, with 4000 Canadian for the account of the Bank of Canada, have indicated less use of cash in response to the COVID-19, only 12 % reported having been previously denied a merchant to pay for purchases in cash, and almost half (42 %) said not having seen or heard of shops where one refuses cash.
That is not to say that the transition to the modes of electronic payment is not securely engaged, 36 % of Canadians reporting having used cash during the week preceding the survey, almost as much as the rate of use of Interac email money transfers (38 %), but less than that of debit cards (52 %) and credit cards (62 %). The mobile apps (8 %) and prepaid cards (11 %) were found to be more marginal. The proportion of respondents saying they hold no cash jumped to 20 %, due 2019, at 28 %, this year.


text:
In northern Belgium workers at an Opel plant blocked access to the installation on Jan. 20 ahead of a meeting in which unions fear that the factory's closure will be announced.
"We are blocking all the cars that are ready to leave until we know what they are intending to do," Walter Cnop, from Christian trade union CSC, said, adding that car production would be allowed to continue.
The blockade could last until Jan. 21, when the local management for parent company General Motors has convened an emergency meeting.
"We are sure they will announce a plan to close" the factory, Cnop said.
GM has said it will be forced to cut 8,300 jobs out of a total of more than 50,000 employees across Europe. The Belgian Opel factory in Antwerp has around 2,300 workers and is considered the most likely to be shut down.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010


text:
The launch this September follows Goldman Sachs’ UK launch of its digital offeringin 2018.
JPMorgan Chase is the second US bank in just three years to have aggressively launched a new digital bank offering in the saturated UK market.
The launch of Chase this September follows Goldman Sachs’ UK launch of its digital offering, Marcus, in 2018.
Yet Chase isn’t likely to become Marcus 2.0, so long as JPMorgan can position it competitively enough, says David Murphy, head of Financial Services, EMEA & APAC at digital-transformation consultancy Publicis Sapient. “Perhaps the Nutmeg proposition could be Chase’s answer to differentiation for an industry-beating product,” he says of JPMorgan’s recent acquisition of UK wealth management robo-adviser Nutmeg, for an undisclosed sum.
“JPMorgan’s descent on the UK retail banking market will inevitably put pressure on the big four—Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and Natwest—as the UK’s fintech market continues to ramp up,” Murphy continues. “We’ve witnessed digital banks such as Revolut, Monzo and Starling steal millions of customers from the traditional banks over the past few years, and JPMorgan’s Chase may have its work cut out trying to persuade customers to make it their main bank. However, there is clearly appetite among customers. And some of the fintechs are now struggling to generate both revenue and profit, meaning there is still a gap in the market for a heavyweight name such as JPMorgan.”
Chase’s competitive cash-back and savings offerings will, according to Murphy, likely lure customers away from its already established rivals, including the big four, especially as it comes backed by the weight of the JPMorgan name. “With UK customers feeling the pinch right now due to higher inflation and unfavorable interest on savings, Chase’s initial deal could tempt customers from elsewhere with the promise of giving hundreds, maybe even thousands, of pounds back if they switch to Chase as their main current account.”
UK-headquartered Standard Chartered, meanwhile, is teaming up with Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to launch its second digital-only bank in Asia, following the successful launch of Mox Bank in Hong Kong last year.
Big banks, with substantial tech budgets, are well placed to challenge the challengers. And to be ready to fight the battles ahead against big tech companies like Google and Amazon, banking-as-a-service platforms will help them both compete and collaborate moving forward.


text:
Vintage vixen: Alexa Chung models grey ankle-length dress and pink clutch as she attends Longchamp store launch in Paris
She's the IT girl of the moment when it comes to fashion and so it's little surprise that model and television presenter Alexa Chung was invited to Longchamp's Lights On boutique store launch.
The 31-year-old headed to the new Paris store on the Champs Élysées, where she was pictured hanging out with her actor friend Jack Guinness
Alexa looked incredible in a sleeveless grey full-skirted vintage dress, which she wore with cute ankle strap black pumps as she joined Kate Moss who wore a sheer camisole dress.
Scroll down for video
Grey day: Alexa Chung was invited to Longchamp's Lights On boutique store launch on Thursday night in Paris - where she wore this cute grey dress
Faces of the brand: She joined supermodel Kate Moss in cutting the store's ribbon
She carried a contrasting pink clutch bag to the event by the high-end brand - she became one of the faces of the brand in 2013.
Alexa famously starred in both the brand's spring/summer 2014 and autumn/winter 2014 campaigns.
According to Vogue, Chung's relationship with the label started after she DJ'd at the brand's London flagship opening party in September.
Getting stuck in: She soon got involved in cutting a piece of the ribbon
Arm candy: Alexa carried a contrasting pink clutch by the label on the night
Hey good looking: She caught up with her long-term actor pal Jack Guinness on the night
DJ: Alexa took to the decks on the night as she pumped out some tracks
She filmed a short interview on the night, tweeting: 'In 3 mins i'll be live being interviewed by @Carodemaigret on http://Longchamp.com''
Her pal, Kate has been involved with the company since 2006 and even designed her own line for them in 2010 in a collaborative effort.
Discussing her partnership with the 60-year-old brand, she added at the time: 'I've been working with Longchamp for a while - we just get on. It was a fabulous opportunity for me.'
Fancy seeing you here: Singer Lenny Kravitz standing between owner of Longchamp Michele Cassegrain (L) and her daughter Arts Director of Longchamp Sophie de la Fontaine
She looked incredible as she arrived wearing a see-through lace camisole dress which was more lingerie than outerwear.
The 40-year-old teamed the number with a smart blazer and showed off her svelte pins in black opaque tights.
The bash was a luxurious one with singer Lenny Kravitz in attendance who was sporting one of his trademark hats.
Long-term: Kate has been working with the brand since 2006 and even designed her own line for them in 2010 in a collaborative effort
Most watched News videos
- Wreckage left behind after millionaire is shot dead while driving
- Hunt: 'We need flexibility and imagination for Brexit plan B'
- Pablo Carreno Busta screams and storms off after losing match
- Shocking moment passengers get involved in altercation with man
- Shocking video shows carer mocking elderly man with dementia
- Moment pensioner is told his flypast tribute dream will come true
- New video shows Native American elder approach school group
- Racist rant sparks furious brawl on a Liverpool bus
- Domesticated bear gives his owner a lovely hug at home in Russia
- Duchess of Cambridge launches new parent helpline at Family Action
- Aunt of missing Savannah Spurlock pleads for niece's safe return
- Protester yells racial slurs at black Covington Catholic student


text:
Apple has lowered the price of the Apple TV Media Receiver, model no. MD199LL/A, to $69 (was $99) with Free Shipping. The Apple TV will support HBO’s new stand alone service, HBO Now, which is expected to go live in April for $14.99/month. Apple TV users who sign up for HBO Now is April will get the first month Free. The Apple store also has the a refurbished model for $10 less with Free Shipping for a limited time.
This is the current and most recent generation of the Apple TV and it features HD movie and TV show rentals,HBO Now, Netflix, YouTube, Flickr, photo stream integration, Airplay support, A5 processor, 802.11n wireless, Ethernet, built-in power supply, 1080p video output, HDMI and optical audio output, built-in IR receiver, and a USB port.


text:
If there’s one thing the pandemic shed a spotlight on, it is how the global supply chain was not ready for an influx of consumerism.
Ships were backed up at some of the world’s largest ports, meaning that hardware, car parts and furniture were absent from retailers’ usual inventory.
Richard Thompson, international supply chain director at JLL, summed it up earlier this year when he said, “The pandemic exposed how fragile our global supply chain was when reliant on one region. A more regionalized model allows companies to be nimbler when problems arise.”
Industrial real estate investors have benefitted from the pivot to a regional supply chain focus. The asset class has outperformed almost all other commercial sectors. During the past two years, JLL found that industrial investment activity picked up across the entire spectrum as automotive companies continued diversifying their footprint. And as supply chain logistics move to nearshoring and reshoring, investors are snatching up regional industrial space opportunities, especially near busy ports.
For example, Miami-based real estate and investment firm Black Salmon, in partnership with InLight Real Estate Partners, this week announced the $103 million disposition of Hicks Transload Facility, a Class A truck terminal and trans-loading warehouse in the Port of Savannah, the country’s third busiest port, as well as the disposition of Rex Distribution Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
“There was a tremendous amount of volume in Savannah and the state has invested billions into the port, so we found there was a lot of opportunity for us and it was just a matter of finding the right property,” Black Salmon Managing Director Stephen Evans told Benzinga. “The site in Savannah was perfect for a truck terminal. This wasn’t about warehousing. The trucks come in on one side, empty their containers and then transfer the materials to the next destination.”
According to a June report from Motley Fool, industrial commercial real estate has grown 10.3% in the past 12 months, led by demand for logistics space and limited available real estate. The vacancy rate for industrial is also the lowest in commercial real estate (CRE) at 4.3%. That performance, which is outshining the multifamily and office sectors, is fueling the present and future investment strategies of companies like Black Salmon and InLight.
“Our firm focuses primarily on industrial real estate, although it’s a type of CRE which has a different set of fundamentals that we’ve been working with since the beginning of the company,” InLight Principal Matt DiLeo said.
DiLeo also noted that industrial investors for specific property uses aren’t necessarily looking for new, high-end properties.
“We are building a value add and bridging the gap with the older facilities who need a tenant that doesn’t necessarily need all the bells and whistles,” DiLeo said.
As for the future of industrial investment, Evans is bullish and says he has already raised funding for the next year of targets.
“If I were to pick one single product type today to invest in, it would be industrial,” Evans said. “E-commerce has been the huge disruption in the industrial supply chain, and capitalizing on that disruption and how it impacts the space, has allowed us to reap the benefits.”


text:
By Lionel Laurent
LONDON (Reuters) - Coinsilium, a London-based investor in the technology that underpins digital currency bitcoin, has delayed a stock market listing that had been due to take place in August on Britain's junior AIM market, two company representatives told Reuters.
No precise reason was given by the representatives, though one said the company still planned to list eventually and was weighing up "alternatives" to AIM.
Coinsilium is one of many companies investing in the so-called blockchain technology that underpins bitcoin.
Blockchain is essentially a massive ledger of every bitcoin transaction ever made, verified and shared by a global network of computers.
Big names from IBM to NASDAQ are among those exploring how blockchain could be applied to financial markets.
Coinsilium chief Eddy Travia had told news outlets in July that the company's initial public offering (IPO) was planned for August and would raise around 3 million pounds ($4.6 million) to expand investments. Coinsilium has at least ten different investments in its portfolio, according to its website.
"It (the IPO) has not happened," a spokeswoman told Reuters, declining to give more information.
Luke Cairns, founder of advisory firm LSC Advisory who works with Coinsilium, said the company still planned to list eventually.
"(Coinsilium) is still planning to go ahead with an IPO but is weighing options, alternatives to AIM," he said.
SI Capital, named as company stockbrokers on Coinsilium's website, did not respond to requests for comment.
One reason for the delay may be last month's market turmoil. Financial market volatility surged to its highest level since the 2008-2009 crisis, as worries over China's economic slowdown and a worsening global growth outlook triggered stock market losses worldwide that have only partially been recovered since.
Analysts and industry watchers have said the market turmoil could slow already cooling appetite for IPOs.
(Reporting by Lionel Laurent; Editing by Mark Potter)


text:
Here's how to get a free pub breakfast this weekend
- Credit: MILTON ARMS
A Cambridgeshire pub is giving a whole new meaning to breakfast in bed, by offering free breakfasts to diners for one weekend only.
The Milton Arms Hungry Horse pub on Milton Road in Cambridge is offering a free breakfast to any locals who visit in their nightwear between Friday June 11 to Sunday June 13.
All breakkie fans have to do to claim a freebie is don their best PJs, slippers or dressing gown when ordering from the pub’s new breakfast menu.
The giveaway comes after the pub revealed that, when it comes to breakfast in bed, 18-to-24-year-olds tuck into four breakfasts a month in bed, while over 55s enjoy just one.
Stacey Celik, general manager at the Milton Arms Hungry Horse, said: “After a long year stuck at home more people are getting out and about in the mornings, enjoying breakfast on the go or treating themselves to something tasty they just couldn’t make at home.
“That’s why we’ve launched our breakfast in bed giveaway: so punters can tuck into their favourite meal of the day in their comfiest gear – and all on the house."


text:
Benary is the Talk of the Trials
Benary changed the game this year, in a few different ways.
First, the company announced its theme for the week: Silicon Valley Meets Big Begonia. The idea: to marry interest in technology with plants, to open consumers’ eyes to the real world of gardening.
Benary used virtual reality to give attendees a look at the inside of a greenhouse – and a view of horticulture from high above in a virtual helicopter ride. Then, the breeder took attendees into real greenhouses to view seed varieties and marketing programs, into an outdoor area set up with the new vegetative selections it will now be offering via Benary+, and then – surprise! – for a real helicopter ride over the vast horticultural area of the Monterey Bay.
But before all of that was experienced, the folks at Benary immediately tackled questions related to its recent distribution announcement that it will partner with Volmary to create Benary+, a joint venture that will distribute Benary seed genetics and Volmary’s vegetative varieties in North America.
The new venture will not circumvent the existing relationships Benary has with brokers to distribute genetics in North America. Rather, the new Benary+ venture will offer additional distribution options to growers, so they can choose the distribution method that suits them.
Managing Director Matthias Redlefsen says he has no intention of taking anything away from anyone. If anything, the new partnership with Volmary will bring more genetics to the marketplace, and create additional profits for everyone.
Greenhouse Grower has spoken with a number of broker representatives this week, who have discussed with us their reservations. Redlefsen says he understands the trepidation with which broker representatives have met this announcement; however, all of the distribution companies with whom Benary has met thus far have been completely professional.
In the end, he calls it what it is – a market disruption. But it’s not a sudden decision, or one that’s been taken lightly. Redlefsen says this will offer Benary a seat at the table among other breeders in a way that it never has before. It’s an effort to secure Benary’s legacy of seed genetics for nearly 175 years, while bringing that experience to the vegetative side of the marketplace. Benary+ will offer more than 400 vegetative varieties from the Volmary side, as well as Benary’s full seed line-up. Seeds will now be packaged in sleeves with VR codes printed on the outside, allowing for better storage for growers and breeders. The VR code will provide the ability to read germination count, so growers know exactly what they’re getting.
Benary+ will drop ship seed directly to growers in North America. Growers can also buy seed and plugs through brokers. On the vegetative side, Benary+ unrooted cuttings will be available directly from the Volmary farm in Kenya, or growers can buy rooted cuttings or liners from broker reps.
Benary’s Marketing Efforts
Getting back to technology and flowers and how they mix, Benary offered a showcase of pollinator drones. A university in Japan is working on technology that would supplement the activities of bees and other pollinators in the landscape. Trial attendees were able to fly a drone at the Graffiti pentas demonstration.
Benary also highlighted a new pansy program featuring a pansy solutions book. This offers ideas for combining pansies with other plants, and creative ideas for consumers to use pansies in the spring and fall. It’s not branded at all – the idea, says Marketing Director Jen Calhoun, is to improve sales for everyone across the pansy category. It’s Benary’s way of helping to rise the tide to lift all boats.
Social media is another important way that connects technology with gardening, Calhoun says. A number of social media programs, including #successpetunia, were highlighted.
Check back to GreenhouseGrower.com and the June issue to see more news and information on all breeder offerings this week.


text:
ATLANTA, July 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In the first half of 2015, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG had the most successful half-year in the company's history with new record figures for vehicle deliveries, sales revenue, and earnings. The sports car maker delivered 113,984 vehicles in the first six months of the 2015 fiscal year, up 30 percent compared to the same period in 2014. During this time, revenue increased 33 percent to 10.85 billion euros. The operating profit surpassed the 2014 figure by 21 percent yielding 1.70 billion euros. The number of employees also increased by ten percent to 23,477 individuals.
"All models and derivatives that we have recently launched have proven to be top sellers in their markets," said Matthias Muller, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, explaining this success by citing the attractive product range of Porsche cars. "This pertains to the Macan model series as much as it does to the new GT models, 911 GT3 RS and Cayman GT4, plus the new GTS derivatives for 911 and Cayenne."
In his outlook of the results, Lutz Meschke, Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT at Porsche AG, was optimistic that Porsche will surpass the previous year's results in the 2015 fiscal year and will reach the self-set target of a 15 percent return on sales. Meschke also pointed out positive currency effects which have lessened the burdens of the very high investments in future technologies and the build-out of the production sites. With several projects planned, Porsche will invest more than one billion euros in Zuffenhausen and Weissach by 2020. Porsche is currently spending another half billion euros on the extension of the Leipzig plant.
About Porsche Cars North America, Inc. | One Porsche Drive, Atlanta, GA 30354 USA
Established in 1984, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) is the exclusive U.S. importer of Porsche 918 Spyder, 911, Boxster and Cayman sports cars, the Macan and Cayenne SUVs, and Panamera sports sedans. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia since 1998, PCNA is also home to the first Porsche Experience Center in North America featuring a module-based 1.6 mile driver development track, business center, human performance center, and fine dining restaurant. PCNA employs approximately 300 people who provide parts, service, marketing, and training for 189 dealers. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the brand's 65-plus year history and leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety and efficiency. PCNA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.
At the core of this success is Porsche's proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000-plus motorsport wins to date.
For Porsche apps: http://www.porsche.com/usa/entertainment/apps/
SOURCE Porsche Cars North America, Inc.


text:
Just days after German auto executives and political leaders met in Berlin in an apparent bid to save diesel engine technology, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has apparently conceded that diesel’s days are numbered in the wake of the Volkswagen and Mercedes emissions scandals.
Despite German manufacturers committing to contribute to a fund worth 500 million Euro (approx. $590 million) to finance measures to reduce urban pollution, the automakers were unanimous in opposing plans by German cities to emulate London and Paris’ plan to remove ICE cars from urban centers by 2040. Merkel seems to have conceded, however, that such bans are the right approach to reducing harmful emissions. “I don’t want to name an exact year,” she said, but Britain and France’s plans to phase out internal combustion-driven cars by 2040 “were the right approach.”
Merkel’s about face on diesel’s future is accompanied with a large finger pointed directly at Volkswagen, who cheated emissions tests with a clever device that made its cars act differently in testing environments that has cost the company billions in fines and corporate goodwill. VW’s emissions scandal has damaged the reputation of Germany’s auto industry, and Merkel argued that the millions of consumers who had been deceived by the cheats must get the environmental emissions performance they had been promised.
Volkswagen, Daimler, and BMW confront growing public outrage both for lying about their vehicles’ emissions and for underplaying the health effects of diesel fumes and harmful nitrogen oxides. In the meantime, leaders of both of Germany’s major political parties face criticism that they have been too cozy with carmakers by blocking stricter European Union regulation of diesel emissions and providing tax breaks on diesel fuel. Those tax breaks favoring diesel-engined cars, though, will remain in place in the immediate future.


text:
“Farming is hard and dairy farmers are concerned with the health of their heard and the profitability of their operation, and today they do not have the info they need to make critical decisions when they need to. But SomaDetect changes this,” Bethany Deshpande, co-founder of SomaDetect, told attendees at Rabobank’s FoodBytes! pitch slam in New York City earlier this month.
She explained that SomaDetect “is two pieces of magic working together:” an inline optical sensor system and deep-learning algorithms or artificial intelligence that fits into existing dairy equipment. Combined, the sensor is able to use light scattering technology to determine the major compounds in raw milk while the artificial intelligence component finds and “reads” patterns and connections in the data set to help farmers assess the quality of the milk as well as the health of their herd.
Specifically, the system tracks fat content, protein content, trace antibiotics and the reproductive hormone progesterone, which allows farmers to not only produce and market higher quality milk, but also identify earlier diseases such as sub-clinical and clinical mastitis, ketosis and acidosis, Deshpande said.
“By identifying two of the top five diseases in dairy earlier, we can react to the diseases quicker – essentially treating a cold rather than a case of pneumonia, which means we can have healthier cows that live longer lives,” she explained.
By measuring progesterone, the technology also can help farmers better manage reproduction and herd turnover, which can be a major challenge on the farm, she said.
“This disrupts the status quo of taking samples from individual cows, running them in a lab and sending the reports back several days later,” she added. “Instead, SomaDetect is designed to fit into existing dairy equipment and provide automated measurements from every cow and every milking” in real time.
Benefits for farmers’ bottom-line
These benefits not only can improve the health of the herd, but also farmer’s financial health, Deshpande said.
“Using this system, farmers will gain an additional $700 per cow, adding up to more than $140,000 per year for an average farm of 200 cows,” she said.
This is enough offset the cost of installing the system with plenty of money to spare within the first year, she added.
“We sell our equipment for $2,500 per sensor as well as a recurring fee of $5 per cow per month for data and analytics. For the average size farm with 20 milking stalls and 200 cows, the first year costs for this system are $52,000,” she said.
Early industry support
While the company has yet to mass-produce its technology, Deshpande said that SomaDetect has major market traction with more than 175 signed letters of intent to purchase and as of April 2018 had sold 350 sensors to about 27 farms.
In addition, the young company has support from dairy organizations and leaders throughout the US, including the Dairy Farmers of America, which is the largest co-op of dairy farmers in the country, representing about 8,00 farmers. DFA also is an investor in the business.
In total, Deshpande estimates that SomaDetect’s patent protected technology has an addressable market of $3 billion in Canada and the US and more than $31 billion worldwide.
“We are on track to grow quickly and currently we are evaluating several potential partnerships to market, install and service the technology,” Deshpande said.
To seize the potential of this traction the startup will begin its Series A fundraise in 2019 to help it manufacturer and install more sensors more quickly, she said.
Ultimately, she added, “SomaDetect is the future of a sustainable and traceable dairy quality system. We are better data for farmers, better milk for consumers and better minds for cows.”


text:
Tesla raises $1.2 billion before the launch of Model 3
Tesla is expected to launch the much-anticipated Model 3 this year in the international markets. The California-based electric-vehicle maker has now raised over $1.2 billion, ahead of the launch, wherein $350 million is from share sales and $850 million in convertible debt. The company mentions that the new round of fundraising is more than what it was predicted last week.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the opening of company's first supercharger station in the UK
Tesla has received over 3.75 lakh bookings for the Model 3. In fact, the hype for the Model 3 was such that half of the bookings were received within 24 hours of the unveiling. Although the company has not revealed any information on the variants of Model 3, Tesla has mentioned that the all-electric offering will be priced at $35,000. The booking amount for the same is a refundable $1,000.
Tesla Model 3
Tesla Inc. claims that the Model 3 can do 0-100kmph in less than six seconds. It will cover a distance of 346km in one full charge. The company plans to install 3,600 superchargers and quadruple the number of destination chargers which will be done with tie-ups with restaurants, hotels and stores. During the unveiling of Model 3, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had mentioned that the car will be offered with autopilot hardware as standard. Tesla plans to increase its presence by almost doubling the number of stores to 441 from 215.
Unfortunately, Tesla has been missing on the deadlines for the Model 3 which has been a matter of concern for the investors. The raised funds also include a personal purchase of $25 million by Musk in common shares.
- NewsGaurav Gill nominated for 2019 Arjuna Award
- NewsCFMoto 250SR spotted once again - could be launched in India post its global debut
- NewsMaruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.3-litre diesel engine discontinued in India
- NewsBenelli India inaugurates a new showroom in Mumbai
- NewsTata Tiago JTP hatchback and Tigor JTP compact sedan updated with features in India


text:
We're going on, just like you.
Pandemic pressures push cherry promotions to quickly adapt to online shopping and digital marketing, but Northwest Cherry Growers is up to the challenge.
A visit to a high-density Ambrosia and Honeycrisp orchard overlooking the upper stretches of Okanagan Lake brought the International Fruit Tree Association summer tour to a conclusion.
Tree fruit growers in British Columbia, Canada, are planting cherries in places where they won’t pick until mid-September.
A glimpse of 30,000 apple varieties in various stages of propagation overlooking the shores of Okanagan Lake highlighted the first day of the International Tree Fruit Association summer tour through British Columbia.
The Washington State Fruit Commission will hold its Board of Directors meeting on May 16 in Richland, Washington. Here is